Monday, May 31, 2010

A Tribute to "Friends for Life"

I have been reading my friend's (Kirti's) latest series of blogs that are a tribute to all her special friends. Here's my love for my friends..to all the wonderful things I learn from them:

Sanaya: I admire your courage and patience and ability to be calm under pressure. I learn it from you, so hang in there honey!!! We love you!

Vidhi: Her kick-ass attitude and the fact that she doesn't take bullshit from life....learning from you love.....

Kirti: For letting her head rule, because I let my heart rule....you complement me jaan...

Mukul: For his perceptiveness...something we don't give him credit for....but you are great at reading people especially your friends....

Bhavik: His sense of humour...which may not be the best but it never fails to bring a smile to my face (either that or really irritate me!!!)

Akshay: I wish I had even half his charm and ability to talk..I would have gotten out of many sticky situations in life.

Varun: I admire his maturity and silent strength...and the fact that we both like the same books and can talk about them.

Radhika: For her sheer grit and determination to live life as she chooses to.....you are really great jaan!

This is to all my friends. Thank you guys for always being there!

Sunday Special

Sundays are truly special! Anyone who faces Monday blues would agree with me when I say Sunday is special. They are the one thing that looking forward to keeps you going through the week. Here is a list of somethings that just make my Sunday:

Sleeping in late: a true luxury!!

Reading for hours at a stretch...

No deadlines!!

Calling and talking to people who you do not work with.

Having a long leisurely bath to pamper yourself.

Food...Sunday always calls for special food....

Spending time with family.

Meeting friends.

Here's to the magic called Sunday!!

Friday, May 28, 2010

True Love

I believe that true love does not need special or grand gestures. Love can be found in the most mundane of things.

When true love comes to you, it does not come with a blare of trumpets and a grand procession. If it strikes you like a thunderbolt, its just attraction. True love just seeps into you day by day and becomes a part of your being even before you may know it.

True love does not need you to meet everyday or have a date quite often.....it is glad in knowing that the person you love is safe and happy.

In true love , there is no place for jealousy because trust takes up too much of the space.

In true love there are no sacrifices too, as when you "sacrifice" something, you are actually just passing on something you value to your loved one.

True love is when you are a team, where there is no me or you. True love is the celebration of an "us".

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus

I received a message the other day from a close friend that read:

"he climbed the highest mountain,

swam the deepest ocean

crossed the hottest desert

to prove his love....

and she complained that he was never at home"

Well I agree with the girl's stand. Guys, really!! Think!!! Did we ask you to do stupid things like this to prove your love?? We don't really need all of this....

All we are looking for is a 'connect': a touch, a hug, a smile, a shared laughter...something that says we are on the same side!! So don't try something stupid to prove your love. Just be with us!

And if a girl has really asked you to do all this to prove your love..well I'd be thinking if I were you....

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

What (Girls Know) Guys Like about Them

Hey all,

In response to the tremendous response to my last post, here's to things about girls that guys like. Guys, you may think we don't know but we know and it makes us feel good.

The way our hair smells. (We love the way you try to hide the sniffing, but we know).

The way we hold on to them when crying....and then apologise for crying and being stupid...)

The way we always fish for compliments (lets face it..we all must have done it once on our life).

The way we fit into their arms with ease.

The way we smile.

The way we take hours to dress but in the end it is all worth it.

The way our hand finds theirs.

The way our head finds the right spot on their shoulders.

The way we are finicky about all our stuff.

And thousands of such small things.....that make us!

Monday, May 24, 2010

Childhood Memories

I was helping my friends prepare a quiz for the age group 13-18 years old and we were really at loss as to what the adolescents of today grow up with or know??

This brought us back to some of our childhood memories....anyone who had been brought up in India in the last decade will be able to relate to a few of them at least!!!

Games included lukka chhuppi, dabba ice-spice, lagor, kho-kho, kabaddi. Girls also played Aoo Meena and Uma Joshi ye ye ye.....

"In-pin safety pin" or "akkad Bakkad Bambai bo" were the way we started all our games.

Cartoon Network and Nickolodeon were a weekend treat.

The comics we regularly read were Amar Chitra Katha, Tinkle, Chacha Chaudhary, Billo, Pinki....

You loved the tazos and temporary tattoos that came with Lays and Boomer. Still your favourite chips for picnics were Uncle Chipps, Peppy and Piknik......

Mahabharata was a favourite way to spend Sunday mornings.

You never missed an episode of Hum Panch or Hip Hip Hooray!!!

Andaz Apna Apna is and most probably will always be our favourite comedy flick!! "Aila Jhakaas!!!"

The English serials we actually had a chance to see were dubbed versions of Small Wonder and I Dream of Genie. Later we saw Full House and the English versions of Small Wonder and I Dream of Genie as these channels cam to India.

Ahhhhhh.......old memories!!!

Friday, May 21, 2010

Cheesy Pick Up Lines

Here are some lines which make girls wanna scream at guys: Grow up or Get lost!!!!

Is it hot in here or is it just you?
Reply: *punch*

GEE I FEEL LIKE RICHARD GERE STANDING BESIDE YOU ........... PRETTY WOMEN.
Reply: *punch* *punch*

Are your legs tired? 'cause you been running through my mind ALL day long.
Reply : Yes, they are. I've been running away from you!

If I had eleven roses and you, I'd have a dozen.
Reply: Oh so your issue is algebra!

Heaven must be missing an angel coz you are here!
Reply: And satan sent his imp to trouble the angel!!!

Do you believe in love at first sight or should I walk past again?
reply: Walk past again and keep walking.....

Thursday, May 20, 2010

What Girls like about Guys?

The way they want to make everything right in your world.

The way they become helpless when we cry (and want to scream foul! foul!)

The way they scream at you when something is upsetting you and you wont stand up against it.

The way they will never admit they are missing you but they actually truly are (and you know it).

The way they show off in front of their friends.

The way they remember to wear your favourite shirt.

The way they are nervous on the first date but will never admit it!

The way they melt when you do something romantic but will never accept that they have melted.

The way they patiently wait when you are getting ready.

The way they hold their breath on a first sight of you when you are looking really good.

The way they smile.

The way they hold you when you are crying.

The way they hold you when you say "I love you".

Actually just the way they hold you.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Indian Railways


I have always liked the tongue-in-cheek humour of this cartoon.

However there are few things that a first time traveller during rush hours in Mumbai locals should know:

You will invariably have the stains and stink of sweat that wasn't even yours in the first place, on you.

The probability of a novice being able to get off on the intended station (if the station is not the destination of the train) ranges between 0.5 to 0.7.

Fast trains which do not stop at certain stations, will stop at all signals between these stations. The only difference between slow trains and fast trains then is the crowd in it.

Trains will always go faster when you are running after them than when you are in them.

Hawkers with their wares will always find their way through the spaces in the crowd through which you couldn't have believed even your nail would fit.

Living Life to the Fullest

I live as if I were to die tomorrow.

I am not depressed and this is not an appeal for help....I just truly believe that there is no guarantee (as there is none actually) that I will live tomorrow.

This just helps me put things in perspective.

Is there anything I regret having said to anyone today? If yes then did I apologise? If no, then what am I waiting for?

Did I put my best efforts in everything I did today? Will I regret not having done something in a particular way as I wanted to?

Did I call everyone who I wanted to/needed to? Did I say everything I needed to tell them? Did I tell the people I love that I love them? If not, then what am I really waiting for?

I missed one chance to tell someone I love them because of that person's death. I am never losing another chance of doing something I really want to do...ever!

Benchmarking

Benchmarking is when a company compares its processes or operations and performance metrics to the best practices in the industry or others in the industry to learn a few lessons.

Benchmarking involves management identifying the best firms in their industry, or any other industry where similar processes exist, and comparing the results and processes of those studied (the "targets") to one's own results and processes to learn how well the targets perform and, more importantly, how they do it.

I truly believe the problem arises when companies instead of learning a few lessons, start blindly imitating these best practices.

Why should this lead to problems if these practices have proven to be best practices? One of the most obvious answers to this question (but the one which could be the most difficult to address) is the differences in the cultures of the organisations.

For example: Southwest Airlines versus Continental Lite. Continental Lite was a short lived "airline within an airline" brand of Continental Airlines established in 1993. The airline folded in 1995 after losing was has been reported in the press as between $140 million or (US) $300 million.

Reason for failure: Continental lite tried to copy the business model of Southwest Airlines, but they could not copy their culture, which helped Southwest maintain the business model of being a low cost airline.

Hence what companies should understand before benchmarking is their own culture, the culture of the companies that they are referring to for the best practices and put things in perspective in light of such data.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Joy of Reading

Curling up on a cold winter or rainy day with a warm blanket, a hot cup of coffee and a good book......ahhhhhh one of life's best pleasures!

What do books mean to me? Everything. From a way to unwind, to a way to learn, to go to when I have doubts.....everything.

My love for reading comes to me from my grandmother and my father. He introduced me to the beautiful world of the written word and stories. It started with Archie comics and Tinkle comics, perfect way for a 7 year old to spend her summer vacation afternoons.

This love did not fade with time but just grew with me. From comics I moved on to children's fiction...from the classic Roald Dahl and Enid Blyton to Judy Blume and Nancy Drew.

As I grew I moved on to classics in both Hindi and English, poetry, and now I have diversified to non-fiction books especially management and psychology books.

I clearly remember an incident where we had a motivational speaker come our school to address us. He asked us if we were given 86400 a day, what would we spend it on? My first thoughts were "books, books, books!!!" Well 86400 referred to the number of seconds in a day..........and I haven't changed my answer till date!!!

Reading frees me....it helps me express my self in the way I interpret what I read. it helps me boost my imagination. and I always am touched by something in a book...be it a word, a line or an emotion. I have a diary full of such words and emotions......

Monday, May 17, 2010

Google.....Trouble!

The best part about Google is you can just type in random stuff (literally and figuratively) and can manage to find something on it. This blog is dedicated to some of the strangest Google dropdowns:

On typing "How do:"

"How do I know he/she loves me" as two different options"
"How do you do" (Fine! Thank you!)
3 suggestions dedicated to pregnancy..
and the best one of all......How do they do it? (Excuse me!)

On typing "How to make...." you really get some classic stuff:

"How to make a girl fall in love with you" as the first suggestion (What!!!!) (to guys who actually search the net for this: Grow up!)
"How to make a bomb" (Hail terrorism!)
and the inevitable: "How to make a girl pregnant" (Oh! I give up!)

Friday, May 14, 2010

Coming Home

Coming home is coming to feeling of belonging, to a feeling of nostalgia, and to that of a relief that all will be well. That whatever may have happened, however difficult things may have been, there are people to listen to you and if you cant talk, just hug you or just be in the same room as you, and it is that simple! And however long you may have been gone, the minute you turn back or decide to return, the place will still be there for you, forever.

I have experienced that feeling twice in the past two days. At my friends place yesterday where I went after a particularly difficult day and we just played antakshari, that was it but that meant a lot.

And today I walked back through the gates of my old college and I was embraced by the same old feelings even though it was empty and all those whom I love were not there. And I rested after a long tiring day !

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Ever Wondered Why?

Girls who will step on your toes in the trains will inevitably be wearing the sharpest of heels and those who aren't will NEVER step on anyone's toes.

People will easily believe you when you say there are 4 billion stars but will check when you say the seat is dirty or the paint is wet?

You can think of a 101 ideas for a blog when working but none when free to actually blog!

The amount of procrastination is directly proportional to the difficulty level of the project or subject.

There is always a TC when your pass has expired and you haven’t realized but on the other days they all seem to have sworn to disappear??!!!

There are some things money can’t buy….for EVERYTHING else there’s Mastercard with WELL DEFINED CREDIT LIMITS!!